Metal culvert.



W. T. SHANNON.

METAL CULVERT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.3.19I6- Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

WILLIAM T. SHANNON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

"METAL CULVERT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 19 5.6.

Application filed February 3, 1916. Serial No. 76,036.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. SHANNON,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Culverts, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in metal culverts of the typedisclosed in my United States Letters Patent 1071102 and 1071185. Intheculvert construction set forth in the first of these patents I havedisclosed a construction in which the arched cover plates are corrugatedso'that the end corrugations may be overlapped to prevent displacementof the cover plates longitudinally of the culvert and relatively to oneanother. In the second patent above mentioned I have improved upon theconstruction set forth in the first mentioned patent in that I havedisclosed a construction in which the bottom plates are provided withinterlocking tongues and flanges to prevent their displacementlongitudinally of the culvert and relatively to'one another, in addltionto disclosing the corrugated interlock- 7 ing construction of the coverplates set forth in the first mentioned patent. Thus in these respectivepatents I have provided means for preventing relative longitudinaldisplacement of the cover plates as'well as of the bottom plates.

An object of my present invention 1s to provide means for securelylocking the cover plates and the bottom plates together to preventrelative movement between them, as well as to prevent the superimposedends of the cover plates and the subj acent ends of the bottom platesmoving away from the respective cooperating ends of the adjacent coverplates and bottom plates.

A further object is to produce a means for interlocking the elements ofa culvert embodying my construction, so that the assembled culvert willbe rendered rigid and incapable of falling to. pieces. 7

A further object is to produce a means for securely interlocking theelements of a culvert embodying my construction, in such a manner thatthe water carrying capacity of the culvert is not impaired.

These and other objects are attained in the improved culvertconstruction described in the following specification and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a fragmental plan view of a culvert embodying my invention,certain parts being broken away to more fully disclose my improvedconstruction, the view being taken at a joint between culvert sections.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theconstruction disclosed in F ig. l,certain other portions being broken away and shown in section to morefully disclose a culvert embodying my construction. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional vlew taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1., anddisclosing a construction em- I bodying my present invention.

The culvert embodying my improved-construction consists of substantiallythe same construction as that disclosed in the two above mentionedpatents, bottom plates 4 being employed to form the floor of the culvertwith corrugated top or cover plates 5 located on the bottom plates andforming the sides and roof ofthe culvert. At each side of the bottomplates the edges are bent downwardly to form longitudinally extendinggrooves 6 and 7 in which the lower edges 8 and 9 of the corrugated coverplates are located. At one end of each bottom plate 4 is formed adepending flange or tongue 10 which extends transversely of the plate,and at'the opposite end a depending flange or tongue 11 is providedwhich is bent upwardly upon itself to provide a space 12 forreceivii'lg. the flange 10 of the next adjacent plate. beyond the tongue11 in such a manner that they will cooperate with the grooves 8 and 9which are extended beyond the opposite end of each adjacent plate toforman overlapping grooved portion 17 at each side of the joint betweenadjacent, bottom plates. The cover plates 5 are located on top of thebot tom plates, with their lower edges occupying the grooves 6 and 7,and the joint between adjacent cover plates is formed by overlappingthe-plates so that at least. one end corrugation of each bottom plateengages with the adjacent end corrugation of the next adjacent plate asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The superimposed end of each bottom plate andthe subjacent end of each cover plate are located. one within the otherso that the corrugated edges near the subjacent end of The grooves 8vand 9 are continued each cover plate will occupy the grooves near thesuperimposed end of each bottom plate and the superimposed end of eachcover plate will. occupy the grooves near the subjacent end of eachbottom plate. This relation of the plates to one another as abovedescribed, occurs at the joints between adjacent plates of each set, thejoints between the bottom plates and between the two cover platesoccurring at substantially the same place. 7

If the subjacent bottom plate and the superimposed cover plate are nowlocked together, the superimposed bottom plate and subjacent cover platewill be prevented from being displaced with relation to their adjacentplates. It is a means of locking the subjacent bottom plate andsuperimposed cover plate together, which forms the chief feature ofnovelty of my present invention.

In constructing a locking means in accordance with my present invention1 strike from the outer sides of the grooves 6 and 7 of each bottomplate, lugs 18 and 1a which are bent out of alinement with the outerwalls of the grooves so as to project into the grooves. These lugs areformed only on the subj acent ends of the bottom plates and adjacent tothe superimposed ends of the cooperating bottom plates, but in aposition such that they will be in alinement with the ridge of the lastcorrugation on the superimposed ends of the cover plates. Cooperatingwith these lugs and formed on the last corrugation of the superimposedcover plates are looped lugs 15 and 16 which are struck from the metalof the corrugation in such a manner as to extend beyond the corrugationand into engagement with the lugs 13 and 14. By means of these lugs andloops the subjacent bottom plate and superimposed cover plate as well asthe superimposed bottom plate and subjacent cover plate will be securelyand rigidly interlocked when the plates are assembled in their properrelation and then pressed together until the loops pass beneath the lugsto allow the lugs to spring back to their distorted positions and to lieagainst the upper edges of the loops and thus prevent displacement ofthe plates from one another as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen that in my improved con struction I have formed the lugsand loops on the outside so that the water passing through the culvertwill not come into contact therewith. The loops are protected fromcontact with the water passing through the culvert by reason of the endcorrugation of the subjacent end of the cover plate cooperating with theend corrugation of the superimposed end of the cover plate having theloops formed thereon. This positively prevents leakage of water from theculvert.

The flanges or tongues 10 and 11 act to prevent the formation of a flowof water beneath the culvert, which would eventually wash out the earthand undermine the culvert.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

l. A culvert composed of sheet metal sections, each section consistingof an arched cover plate and a substantially fiat bottom plate havinglongitudinally trough-shaped grooves formed near its longitudinal edges,the grooves of adj aoent bot tom plates overlapping and engaging eachother, the arched plates being mounted on the bottom plates with theirstraight edges located in the grooves, the subjacent end of each bottomplate having lugs extending inwardly and each superimposed end of eacharched plate having outwardly extending lugs adapted to lock with the,inwardly extending lugs when the second mentioned lugs are broughtbeneath them.

2. Ina culvert section, a top member and a bottom member, comprising asubstantially flat plate having longitudinally extending top memberengaging grooves, and a transversely extending flangeengaging slotformed therein, a flange being formed on the opposite end of each flatbottom plate and adapted to occupy the flange engaging slot of eachadjacent bottom plate, and lock ing means formed on the top and bottommembers adapted to be engaged to lock the members together whenassembled, said locking means consisting of flexible lugs formed on thebottom member and extend ing into the top member engaging grooves, andrigid lugs formed on the top member and adapted to engage the flexiblelugs when the members are brought together, whereby the flexible lugswill permit movement of the rigid lugs beyond them and will spring totheir normal positions to lock the rigid lugs against Withdrawal.

3. A culvert composed of interlocking bottom plates havinglongitudinally extending cover plate-receiving grooves formed therein,and arched cover plates mounted on the bottom plates with theirlongitudinal edges in the grooves, said bottom plates having spring lugsformed thereon and said cover plates having rigid lugs formed there onadapted to lockingly engage one another when the plates are moved totheir assembled positions.

4. A culvert composed of interlocking bottom plates havingflow-obstructing ribs formed thereon and cover-receiving grooves formedtherein, and overlapping arched cover plates mounted on the bottomplates with their longitudinal edges mounted in the grooves, said bottomplates and said cover plates having cooperating lugs formed thereon,adapted to lock the cover plates and bottom plates together, the lugs ofone extending r of said sets of plates being spring lugs and the lugs ofthe other of said sets of plates being rigid.

5. A culvert composed of a series of interlocking sections, each sectioncomprising a bottom plate having cover receiving grooves formed therein,a flange located at one end thereof, and a flange-receiving slot formedin the other end thereof, and a cover plate mounted on the bottom plateand having its edges mounted in the grooves formed in the cover plate,saidcover and bottom plates having cooperating lugs formed thereonadapted to lock the plates together when they are assembled, the lugs ofone of said sets of plates being spring lugs and the lugs of the otherof said sets of plates being rigid.

6. A culvert composed of sheet metal sec- .with means for engaging thecover, and a second means formed on the cover for engaging the firstmentioned means to lock the covers and bottom plates of adjacentsections together.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day ofFebruary, 1916.

WILLIAM T. SHANNON.

\Vitnesses;

WALTER F. MURRAY,

THORNTON BOGERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

